Background: According to symptom oriented of drug therapy in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eye movement, desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) were increasingly used. The aim of this study was to compare effects of EMDR and CBT in acute stress.Materials and methods: In this case-control study, 51 combatants with PTSD hospitalized in Isar Hospital of Ardabil province or were inhabited in Ardabil were randomly divided to three groups. The method was extended test method and study design was multi-group test-retest. Used tools included boring memories test, subjective units of distress or anxiety (SUD) scale, validity of cognitions (VOC) scale and hospital anxiety and depression scale. Results: EMDR and CBT significantly decreased boring memories, mental distress, anxiety and depression, and also increased positive cognition. Although both EMDR and CBT caused significant reduction of anxiety and depression, EMDR was superior to CBT in reduction of PTSD symptoms of Iranian combatants.
Conclusion: Regarding efficacy of EMDR and CBT in the treatment of PTSD , it is suggested to prevent and decrease symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).